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Post by Jazzable on Apr 27, 2014 5:34:38 GMT -8
4) Gerbils love dried corn, this is a good treat, and they will play with it until the whole thing is eaten. You can buy a whole corn rather than the kernels in a package.Question about this: I see those tiny dried up corn cobs x4 in a bag at the store, and they're like brown and gold colored. But they're a bit pricey. Is fresh corn on the cob okay? Like can I defrost some frozen corn on the cobs and throw them one? I give my boys a few greens now and then but they seem to just enjoy yogies, cheerios, and hay out of everything I've tried. Edit: Thank you for this forum! Found out I should switch to sand because of it. Honestly my eyes see 'sand' and my brain reads 'dust', if you know what I mean. *bangs head against desk* Going to food store later, hopefully they'll have some and I can test it out. Fresh corn is alright as a treat, I'd just be careful not to give them too much as it's quite wet and they're not used to having lots of moisture. I gave mine a kernel each from a fresh, cooked corn cob and they seemed to really enjoy it. Also, the 'core' part that's left after all the corn has been eaten makes a really good chew toy for them. I think maybe they like to chew it because they can still taste the corn, but there's not actually anything for them to eat so you don't have to feed it as if it's a special treat.
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Post by kristinenote on Apr 28, 2014 7:43:25 GMT -8
Fresh corn is alright as a treat, I'd just be careful not to give them too much as it's quite wet and they're not used to having lots of moisture. I gave mine a kernel each from a fresh, cooked corn cob and they seemed to really enjoy it. Also, the 'core' part that's left after all the corn has been eaten makes a really good chew toy for them. I think maybe they like to chew it because they can still taste the corn, but there's not actually anything for them to eat so you don't have to feed it as if it's a special treat. Thank you for the info! I was at Petco this morning and usually it's like 5 bucks for the small animal corn cobs which are tiny corn cobs, dried, and only four per bag. But I happened to go through the bird isle and they had 7 mini corn cobs in a bag for 4 dollars! I snatched them up. Even the cashier was like "woah! Nice amount for the price!" she has a few guinea pigs. So I'm very happy with that. I also bought some frozen corn cobs yesterday but haven't used them yet. I'll cut them in half and give sparingly.
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Post by wordgerbil on Jul 10, 2014 4:34:53 GMT -8
The Oasis 4 oz. bell bottle with metal holder is an amazing water bottle. It's 100% chew proof and is super easy to hang in an aquarium. If you have allergies to trees, a good bedding to use is EcoBedding because it's just shredded paper and it comes in an odor control variety.
Always avoid the plastic hamster tubes - even though they're hard plastic my gerbils devoured them. I love the extra thick paper towel tubes that some paper towel rolls come with.
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Post by natalie on Dec 9, 2015 4:18:02 GMT -8
don't buy plastic or anything that would be harmful if swallowed because they will chew and eat it give them toilet roll tubes x
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Post by natalie on Dec 9, 2015 4:30:51 GMT -8
You should not give them plastic or anything that is harmful they can chew as they will chew and eat it. Give them lots of toilet rolls and cardboard, which is a cheap alternative to expensive toys from the shop which don't even last very long. If you are willing to buy stuff from Pets At Home then you can buy them wooden toys and sea grass and they do love a bit of hay any hay is good but make sure there is no mites in it, i got worried about this but if you are in the UK you are fine i use reggie rabbit hay along with Gerry gerbil food . xx
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Post by kat77 on Jul 19, 2017 18:38:10 GMT -8
IM confused...If we are not supposed to use pine bedding...why are some people saying their gerbils love pine cones?? Is this safe or not?? Thanks
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Post by betty on Jul 20, 2017 2:03:50 GMT -8
Fresh pine wood is not safe for gerbils due to the sap contained in the tree itself (and the natural chemicals in the sap).
However, kiln-dried pine is safe for gerbils because all the sap has been removed. Kiln-dried pine bedding (in the UK at least) is totally safe for gerbil bedding and I use it all the time - and I use kiln-dried pine wood to make my split tanks and houses.
This is also why pine cones are safe too - as (once mature) they don't contain the sap that was in the original tree. (They may however contain bugs and stuff - or fungi if you are collecting off the floor.)
NB: Pine cones brought from craft and home decor stores however are usually heavily coated with invisible chemicals and preservatives to keep them looking pretty for us humans.
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Post by Notsure on Jul 20, 2017 12:48:38 GMT -8
I have a question about sand baths, since I don't think it's necessary to buy a small animal bath tub, when I could use the bottom of a Tupperware container that has long since been missing it's lid, would that have a good chance of being a cost saving item in place of a critter bath tub?
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Post by peppers on Aug 20, 2017 10:51:20 GMT -8
mine love jam jars
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Post by Scott on May 17, 2019 10:20:38 GMT -8
I have a question about sand baths, since I don't think it's necessary to buy a small animal bath tub, when I could use the bottom of a Tupperware container that has long since been missing it's lid, would that have a good chance of being a cost saving item in place of a critter bath tub? Very old post, I know, but I read this and wondered, doesn't this go against the recommendation to not put plastic into the tank? I went to a dollar store (if you're not in the US and haven't heard of them, it's a place where EVERYTHING costs $1) and found various heavy ceramic bowls of different sizes and shapes. One was perfect for a food bowl, and another for sand.
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tuftsnfluff
Member
AGS Ethical Breeder in DFW, TX
Posts: 589
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Post by tuftsnfluff on May 21, 2019 5:40:43 GMT -8
Hey there! This is fine actually as long as there's TWO things --
1.) The sand bath is ONLY in the tank long enough for the gerbils to bathe and then removed. This is not ideal for leaving the bathing sand in the tank.
2.) That the Tupperware container is ONLY used for those particular gerbils. Plastic tends to "capture" and hold on to scents, even after washing I've discovered. So its NOT ideal to wash it, replace the sand, and use it in another tank. I've actually had a couple pairs Declan this way. I ended up buying a metal dog bowl for sand bathing my kennel without having to use a container per tank. That'd be a LOT of containers! Not sure about ceramic. I would think as long as it is GLAZED inside, then that would work. Ceramic is porous otherwise and I think the same thing would happen with absorbing scents as the plastic otherwise.
Hope this helps!
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Post by Scott on May 21, 2019 14:49:22 GMT -8
My two don't seem to have the vaguest idea about how to take a sand bath.
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Post by logofaux on May 22, 2019 5:22:05 GMT -8
My gerbils love toilet paper tubes and cardboard more then the chew toys I get for them. They also prefer sun flower seeds over corn. You can get a bit of raw sunflower seeds for a few cents at publix. Just remember to wash them. They're used as treats to calm them down or if they behave well.
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tuftsnfluff
Member
AGS Ethical Breeder in DFW, TX
Posts: 589
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Post by tuftsnfluff on May 22, 2019 10:32:04 GMT -8
Hey Scott! Yeah..LOL.. you get that sometimes. I usually gather some up and sprinkle it over them and then keep them in there for a little longer. They do eventually figure it out. Might take a few times though!
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Post by dieselandoakley on May 24, 2019 18:00:25 GMT -8
A tip I have ( which may have already been said ) BUY CHEW TOYS FROM ETSYYY its so so so much cheaper along with what you get for the price of 20 dollars! A few good shops to look at are Fuzzys Toy Shop and Miss Bunnys Toys, just make sure your getting them natural with no dyes, but this tip has really saved me money and is definitely worth the prices.
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